2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 5Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was saying these things to you? 6And now you know the hindrance, in order that in his time he might be revealed. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only the one who he who now restrains will do so until he is taken from the midst.
Paul reminds the Thessalonians of things he taught them while he was there. What does he mean by these things? It is interesting that he would have taught them in the short time he was there the vary narrow topic of the appearance of the lawless man before Jesus’ return. He could be referring to the broader topic of Jesus’ second coming, since what he writes in these verses appears to be new information and details they did not know (and now you know). Verses 6 and 7 are not easy to understand. Paul calls the idea of a lawlessness a mystery. He was given special insight into this, but even he did not understand or know all the details.
The appearance of the lawless man who rebells against God will happen at the appointed time. His appearance should be taken by believers as a warning to stay vigilant and a sign of the revealing of the Lord Jesus on the clouds. The challenge with this idea, however, is that there are many people who are lawless. Paul knew that, as verse 7 indicates. Even in his own time, only decades after Jesus’ ascension, lawlessness was already at work. Lawlessness (anomias) is an expression of sin as rebellion against God and God’s laws. Another way to understand this concept is that sin will increase. Paul’s words echo what Jesus taught his disciples as recorded in Matthew 24:10-12: “
And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and ]mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.”
The last phrase of verse 7 is difficult to translate, which makes its meaning unclear. The one who restrains (katechōn) keeps control of the lawless one until the right time for him to be revealed. It is impossible to tell who this restrainer is, whether this is God acting in sovereignty over the situation, or a human being who keeps the lawless man under restraint until the right time. The message is clearer: lawlessness is at work in our time, as it was in Paul’s time. We must be vigilant and not be caught in the deception and degradation of people who follow the pattern of this lawless person.
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